ASCOLI, Graziadio Isaia. Gorizia 16.7.1829 — Milano 21.1.1907. Italian (Jewish) Linguist. Professor in Milano. Born in a rich Jewish merchant family in Görz, then of Austria (now Gorizia in Italy) as the only son of Leone Flaminio Ascoli (died early) and Elena Norsa, lost soon his father. Never went to school, but left soon the commercial career and turned to languages. Tutored by the famous Hebrew scholar Samuel David Luzzato together with his own son —> Filosenno Luzzato. Started an early career of literary author and at the same time studied Oriental languages, gradually decided to concentrate on IE Lin­guistics. From 1861 until 1902 Professor of Comparative Philology (di Storia com­parata delle langue classiche e neolatine) at the R. Accademia Scientifico-letteraria di Milano, also teaching Sanskrit. Senator 1888. Married Fanny Beatrice Kohen (1827–1901), three children.

As a linguist Ascoli criticized German Junggrammarians and was much interested in dialectology. He also worked on Romance Linguistics and on IE-Semitic contacts. The concept of substratum was developed by him.

Publications: Studi Orientali e Linguistici. 1-3. 420 p. Milano 1854-61 (i.a. “Epica indiana. Cenni intorno al Mahâb‘hàrata e particolarmente all’ episodio Nala. Testo e trad. italiana”, 1, 1854, 55-144 & 2, 1855, 186–233); St. Or. e L. 3 = Studi Critici. 1.; Studi Critici. 2. 520 p. Milano 1877 (i.a. “Saggi Indiani”).

– “Die Entstehung der skr. tenuis palatal aspirata”, KZ 16, 1867, 442-449; Di un gruppo di desinenze Indo-europee. 23 p. Memorie del Reale Ist. Lombardo 11 (2:1), 1868; further articles in KZ, Mem. Ist. Lombardo, etc.; numerous short eymological notes.

– Studi ario-semitici. 1-2. Mem. Ist. Lombardo ser. 3, cl. 2, vol. 10, n. 7 & 10, 1865; Corsi di glotto­logia. 1. Lezioni di fonologia comparata del sanscrito, del greco e del latino. Turin 1870, German translation Vorlesungen über die vergleichende Lautlehre des Sanskrit, des Griechischen und des Lateinischen. 201 p. Vorträge über Glottologie 1. Halle 1872; Sprachwissenschaftliche Briefe. 228 p. Lp. 1887; founder and editor of the Archivio Glottologico Italiano 1-16, 1873-1902/05, with numerous own contributions.

– “Iscrizione inedite o mal note greche, latine, ebraiche di antichi sepolcri giudaici nel Napoletano edite ed illustrate”, Atti del Congr. Intern. degli Orientalisti IV Firenze 1880, 239-354.

Sources: T. Bolelli, D.B.I. 4, 1962, 380–384; *M. Bréal, BSL 14:2, 1907, 222f.; *Ciardi-Dupré, RSO 1, 1907, 573-575; *A. De Gubernatis, Rivista d’Italia 4:1, 1904, 617-623; *St. Gensini, Lex. Gramm. 1996, 45-49; H. Kern, CRAI 1908, 814-836; *F.L. Pullé, Gr.A. 30 p. Bologna 1907 (with portrait); *S. Reinach, CRAI 51, 1907, 49-51; *W. von Raffler, “Ascoli, forerunner of Matteo Bartoli”, Word 9, 1953, 54f.; *Silloge linguistica dedicata alla memoria di Gr.I.A. 47+690 p. Turin 1929 (with P.G. Goidánich on Ascoli, ix-xxvii); works in Gli studi Orientali in Italia 1861–1911; family in geni.com, with photo; Wikipedia (Italian with more details, both with photo); *Miscellanea linguistica in onore di Gr. A. Turin 1901 (with photo, again in Pedersen 1959, 279).

*R. Peca-Conti, Carteggio Graziadio Isaia Ascoli – Emilio Teza. Pisa 1978.